


not stupid

by androgynousmikewheeler



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Bullying, Gen, Jo Byers - Freeform, Nonbinary Eleven, Trans Jonathan Byers, byers family - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-06
Updated: 2020-06-06
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:34:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24567799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/androgynousmikewheeler/pseuds/androgynousmikewheeler
Summary: El struggles with the unkindness of their high school classmates. Will has some words of encouragement.
Relationships: Will Byers & Eleven | Jane Hopper
Kudos: 19





	not stupid

El stomps their way into the house after school and runs past Will towards their bedroom. They slam the door behind them and scream into their pillow. They kick their calves and beat their fists against the mattress.

“Not stupid! Not stupid! Not stupid!” they yell into the cotton sheets. Their eyes flood with burning tears and their limbs go weak. They collapse onto the mattress, curl into a ball, and cry.

Will inches the door open and raps his knuckles against the wood.

“Hey,” he whispers, “what’s going on?”

El replies only with a huff of air and rolls over to stare at the wall.

He sits on his own bed across the room. “That’s okay,” he says, “I’m here when you wanna talk.” He pulls his chemistry homework from his bag and the room fills with the soft scratching of his pencil. El continues their staring contest with a picture of the party and seethes.

After a few minutes, Will asks, “Do you mind if I put some music on?”

El rolls over to look at him and the soft smile on his face opens the floodgates.

“They call me stupid,” they mutter, “Not stupid.”

Will sighs. “No, you’re not.”

“I don’t know words. I talk weird. I don’t know science, math. They say I’m stupid.”

“Hey, they don’t know shit. Look at how much you’ve learned in the last four years. They’ve had their whole lives to learn all this shit. Fuck them.”

El’s shoulders sag. “Not fair. I work hard. But still... I don’t understand.”

“Hey, I know I haven’t been helping as much as I could. Maybe we can go over your homework together.”

El is about to say yes when their lip stiffens and they shake their head. “I can do it.”

“I know you can. You’re super smart. But even Dustin needs help sometimes. He spent half of eighth grade in Mr. Clarke’s classroom after school trying to learn chemistry.”

“But...” they struggle to find the right words, “I am behind. You are a junior, I am a freshman. I am older.”

Will crosses over to El’s bed and throws his arm over them. “I’ve been in school for like ten years. This is your first year. Mom couldn’t teach you the high school stuff, so you’ve got to start there. Fuck their timeline, right? You’re learning so much, El, it’s incredible. Don’t feel bad because you don’t know more than people who’ve been learning way longer than you.”

El hums. “You talk like Jo.”

Will laughs. “Yeah, kinda. She’s wise enough for all of us.”

El finally smiles. “Byers are smart.”

“Hell yeah. And you’re a Byers now, like it or not. So, it doesn’t matter what class you’re in or what grades you get. You’re smart, and anyone who calls you stupid? They’re the stupid ones. Okay?”

“Okay.”

“Now can I help with your pre-algebra?”

El nods. “Please.” 


End file.
